Yes.

By: Lynne M.

As stated by an experienced, anonymous gamer, “I think it [corporate ownership] makes the experience more rewarding. I played on a fake server for a while – not fun.”

Corporate ownership affects the quality of one’s experience, because the name itself implies that a large sum of money [mainly supplied by the subscribers] is being used to support the MMO. This greatly increases the appeal of the game, because a corporation is able to use faster and more numerous servers, to pay coders to maintain the software, and also to enhance the graphics and thereby increase the immediacy felt by players in the game.

Corporate ownership awareness may slide by in day to day activities if there is no direct interaction between the player and the corporation itself. However, when a legal dispute arises, the player in the corporation’s line of fire is extremely aware of and affected by the corporation that owns the game.

The ownership also becomes apparent in game play when one can no longer sign on to his or her character, because the monthly payment is due. Again from the ueber gamer, “Although the monthly payment isn’t something I like, I don’t mind paying so long as I’m having fun and they are doing their job to entertain me.”